Vessel with improved food support surface

ABSTRACT

A vessel incorporating an improved article support surface for supporting an article, such as a food product, during processing (e.g., baking, thawing or freezing), has a surface for supporting a food product or another article and a pattern is formed or otherwise incorporated in the article supporting surface. The pattern incorporated into the support surface is comprised of a raised portion and a low portion or valley and combine to define or create a pocket underneath the supported article or food product in which air circulates or flows during processing. In a preferred embodiment various shapes of baking sheets incorporating a “pebble-grain pattern” is embossed on a metal sheet and the embossed metal sheet is then formed into the desired shape. The sheets are constructed of various aluminum alloys used in the food equipment industry including, but not limited to, 3003, 3004 or 5052 aluminum alloys.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates in general to vessels with improvedsupporting surfaces for supporting articles and pertains, moreparticularly, to a vessel for supporting food products such as pre-bakedfood during the baking process. The support surface is an improvementover the conventional flat, bumpy or rippled surface found, for example,on conventional baking sheets, cookie sheets and pizza pans.

[0002] With the conventional vessel for supporting a food product orother article to be processed the vessel includes a supporting surfacethat supports the article over substantially all of a supported surfaceof the article. For example, it is common to bake cookie dough an a flatcookie sheet or bake an un-cooked pizza on a flat pizza pan.

[0003] These conventional baking pans are typically constructed using aflat, bumpy or rippled surface that provide for direct contact betweenthe cookie dough or pizza. The direct contact between the food productbeing baked and the pan result in a food product that is trapped orsealed or in complete contact with the baking surface of the pan.

[0004] The result of this “trapped” effect is well-known. The foodproduct that is trapped on the cooking surface has a tendency to burndue, at least in part, to the direct heat transfer between the cookingsurface that becomes essentially the same temperature as the bakingappliance, for example, an oven and the food product since they are insubstantially direct contact.

[0005] Also, another drawback of trapping the food product on the bakingor cooking sheet or pan is the inability to effectively brown the foodproduct without burning the portion of the food product in contact withthe baking or cooking sheet or pan. This same trapping effect cansometimes be observed in other processes related to food products,including the uneven thawing of a frozen food item or the uneven coolingof a food product or the uneven freezing of a food product when the foodproduct is placed on a conventional flat cooking sheet.

[0006] It was previously mentioned that other surface treatments forcookie sheets, pizza pans and the like are known, and they include whathas been referred to as a bumpy surface or a rippled surface. It isbelieved that vessels constructed so as to have these or equivalenttypes of surfaces will suffer all of the drawbacks previously mentionedas well as additional drawbacks related to cleaning the vessel afteruse, particularly after a use that results in a burned portion of thefood product remaining on the cookie sheet or pizza pan or other vesselused as herein described.

[0007] Over the years embossed sheet metal has generally been used forarchitectural or cosmetic practical applications. There are a number ofdifferent existing patterns, such as stucco, cedar, diamond, ribbed andpebble-grain used, for example, for aluminum siding and aluminum orbright stainless steel wall panels or refrigeration panels.

[0008] These patterns, as well as the pebble-grain pattern discussedherein, are produced commercially by embossing. Generally, this is donein a rolling mill or by an outside specialty metal finisher.

[0009] Once the aluminum material has been rolled to the desiredthickness, it is fed, usually in coil form, through a set of embossingrolls. These large steel rolls have the exact same pattern which is thentransferred to the aluminum sheet.

[0010] By nature of the process, the pattern will repeat at intervalsbased on the roll diameter chosen by the embosser. The pattern may beembossed onto one or both sides.

[0011] However, the only use of an embossed sheet product using thepebble-grain pattern or any other pattern for that matter in the foodservice industry is a use as a serving tray. In that use a specialaluminum alloy (5657) is used because it can be chemically brightened togive the food service tray a silver-plated appearance and it is notknown to be used for cooking or baking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to providea vessel for supporting an article having an improved support surfacethat is constructed with a pattern located on the support surface of thevessel. The pattern provides at least one air pocket between the vesselsupport surface and the article when the surface supports article so asto provide heat transfer between the article and the vessel.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a bakingpan that is adapted to support a food product on a surface that does nottrap the food product in direct contact with the baking pan. With thebaking pan of this invention foods can be baked or browned with areduced occurrence of burning and an enhanced capability to brown thefood product when it is desired.

[0014] A further object of the present invention is to provide a vesselwith an improved surface that is adapted to have one or more raisedsurfaces or portions contacting a food item or other article for maximumheat transfer between the vessel surface and the food product or otherarticle and a low area or portion that forms pockets between the foodproduct or other article that allow air to flow and circulate under thesurface of the food item or other article supported on the improvedsurface.

[0015] Still another object of the present invention is to provide acooking vessel that includes a support surface that provides improveduniform cooking of food product. The cooking support surface of thisinvention with its air flow and circulation characteristics slows heattransfer from the vessel to the food product while other exposedportions of the food product not in contact with the support surfaceapproach the temperature of the cooking appliance or, in other words,“air bake” which is widely thought to be an improved method of baking.

[0016] Still a further object of the present invention is to provide acooking vessel that includes a support surface that provides improveduniform browning of a food product. The cooking support surface of thisinvention with its air flow and circulation characteristics providesmore uniform browning of the food product since the portion of the foodproduct that is supported by and, thereby, resting on the patternedsupport surface is not “trapped” or sealed on a hot or very hot surfacewithout any air flow or circulation since it will be recognized a“trapped” food product may burn before it browns to the desired color.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedarticle support vessel that incorporates and improved support surfacepattern that need not be coated and is more readily cleaned after use(e.g., baking) than vessels with conventional surfaces. The patternedsurface of the vessel provides for a flow of air between a food productand the patterned surface that “cushions” the food product in such amanner that the improved support surface acts in the manner of anon-stick surface.

[0018] A further object of the present invention is to provide animproved article support vessel that is adapted for its durability andability to resist rust.

[0019] To accomplish the foregoing and other objects of this inventionthere is provided a vessel incorporating an improved article supportsurface for supporting an article, such as a food product, duringprocessing (e.g., baking, thawing or freezing). The vessel comprises asurface for supporting a food product or another article and a patternformed or otherwise incorporated in the article supporting surface.

[0020] The pattern incorporated into the support surface is comprised ofa raised portion and a low portion. The raised portion and the lowportion combine to define or create a pocket underneath the supportedarticle or food product in which air circulates or flows.

[0021] In this way the article supported on the vessel incorporating thepatterned surface and the aforementioned air pockets act to enhance thelikelihood that heat transfer takes place through a cushion of air andnot through the direct contact between the article and the vessel. Thecushion of air, therefore, enhances heat transfer as in cooking, thawingand freezing to give just a few examples.

[0022] In the disclosed embodiments described herein, there are providedvarious shapes of baking sheets incorporating a “pebble pattern” asillustrated in the drawings. This preferred pattern is embossed on themetal sheet and the embossed metal sheet is then formed into the desiredshape.

[0023] Also, in the preferred embodiment the sheets are constructed ofvarious aluminum alloys used in the food equipment industry including,but not limited to, 3003, 3004 or 5052 aluminum alloys.

[0024] These and other objects and features of the present inventionwill be better understood and appreciated from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments thereof, selected for purposes ofillustration and shown in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vessel constructed in accordancewith the present invention (from a photograph);

[0026]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another vessel constructed inaccordance with the present invention (from a photograph);

[0027]FIG. 3 is a partial view of a patterned surface of a vesselconstructed in accordance with the present invention (from aphotograph);

[0028]FIG. 4 is partial elevation view of a vessel of the presentinvention supporting an article on a patterned surface; and

[0029]FIG. 5 is a plan view of a patterned surface of a vesselconstructed in accordance with the present invention and a food product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Referring now to the drawings there are shown preferredembodiments for the improved support surface incorporated into a supportvessel of this invention that is described in connection with a bakingpan or cookie sheet to provide improved baking or browning of a foodproduct supported on the surface of the present invention. The supportsurface and the vessel incorporating the support surface of the presentinvention is particularly adapted for providing a combination of maximumheat transfer and air flow or air circulation and is characterized byraised portions and low portions provided by an embossed surface thatincrease the amount of the food product that is not in direct contactwith the support vessel.

[0031] The drawings show the vessel 10 for supporting a food product orother article to be processed in manner that includes heat transfer thatcomprises a surface 12 for supporting the food product. The surface 12includes a pattern 14 formed in or by the surface for supporting thefood product.

[0032] A preferred embodiment of the pattern used with the vesselillustrated in the drawings is referred to as a pebble-grain embossedsurface. The pattern comprises one or more raised portions 16 and lowportions or valleys 18.

[0033] The combination of the raised portions 16 and the low portions 18form pockets 20. These pockets provide for air flow or circulationbetween the vessel and a supported article 22, for example, a foodproduct such as cookie dough or a pizza.

[0034] In operation, in connection with the food baking applicationpreviously mentioned to enhance baking and browning of the food product22 by using the vessel 10, the food product is placed on the supportsurface 12 in a conventional manner, for example, placed directly on thesupport surface. The raised portions or surfaces 18 are in contact withthe food product 22 and the predominant heat transfer takes placebetween the raised surface and the food product.

[0035] The low portions or areas 18 of the patterned surface are notgenerally in contact with the food product 22 but form the the pocket20. The combination of the food product and the patterned surface createthe pocket and air flows or circulates underneath the food product, thatis, between a food product support surface 24 and the vessel 10 that issupported by an opposing surface 26 of the vessel 10.

[0036] In the example of baking the air flow is heated air while in thethawing or freezing examples, the air can have an ambient temperature ora lowered temperature, respectively. In each of the examples, the pocketthat is allowed to form through the combination of the food product orother article and the patterned surface of the vessel on which it restsor is supported provide the means for allowing the cushioning of thesupported article on the support surface of the vessel.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment the pattern has the appearance of a“cobblestone street” but for the fact that the upper surface 28 of theraised portions of the patterned surface are all flat and lie in thesame geometric plane. It is estimated that the ratio of this flatcooking surface 28 (i.e., the “pebbles”) to the low portion or valley 18where air flows or circulates is approximately 2:1.

[0038] The aluminum sheets used to construct the vessels of thepreferred embodiment are embossed with the “pebble-grain” patternsurface for cooking and baking various foods in an oven. The aluminumsheets are preferably an alloy common to the food equipment industry,for example, 3003, 3004 or 5052.

[0039] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are constructed ina variety of shapes and sizes. The current choices are an approximately14 inch by 17 inch rectangular sheet, an approximately 14 inch by 20inch rectangular sheet and an approximately 15.5 inch diameter circularsheet.

[0040] At the present time a circular pan 30 has a raised lip 32 at theedge. This pan is generally intended for use with foods like pizza andpies or other food that lend themselves to cooking or freezing orthawing on a round sheet. The lip 32 provides some containment for itemssuch as pot pies or the like that could run toward the edge of the panif they were to break open.

[0041] At the present time a rectangular pan 34 is constructed in two(2) sizes for the practical purpose of accommodating different stylesand sizes of ovens. The current rectangular pans have rounded,protective corners 36 or approximately 1 inch radius and each of thenarrow ends 38 of the rectangular sheets are bent up at an angle ofapproximately 45 degrees to provide added rigidity and a graspableflange 40.

[0042] From the foregoing description those skilled in the art willappreciate that all of the objects of the present invention arerealized. A vessel with an improved support surface has been shown anddescribed for providing the air pocket between the vessel supportsurface and the article when the surface supports article so as toprovide heat transfer between the article and the vessel.

[0043] The baking pan embodiment of the present invention is adapted tosupport a food product on a surface that does not trap the food productin complete direct contact with the baking pan. Therefore, use of thebaking pan allows baking and browning of a food product with a reducedoccurrence of burning and an enhanced capability to brown the foodproduct.

[0044] The improved surface is adapted to have one or more raisedsurfaces or portions contacting a food item or other article for maximumheat transfer between the vessel surface and the food product or otherarticle and a low area or portion or valley to form a pocket or pocketsbetween the food product or other article. This construction allows airto flow and circulate under the surface of the food item or otherarticle supported on the improved surface.

[0045] The cooking vessel includes a support surface that providesimproved uniform cooking of food product. The cooking support surfacewith its air flow and circulation characteristics slows heat transferfrom the vessel to the food product while other exposed portions of thefood product not in contact with the support surface approach thetemperature of the cooking appliance. This “air bake” method of cookingis widely thought to be an improved method of baking.

[0046] The cooking vessel support surface provides improved uniformbrowning of a food product. The cooking support surface of thisinvention has air flow and circulation characteristics that result inmore uniform browning of the food product since the portion of the foodproduct that is supported by and, thereby, resting on the patternedsupport surface is not “trapped” or sealed on a hot or very hot surfacewithout any air flow or circulation. In a preferred embodiment the ratioof raised surface to low portion or valley is approximately 2:1.

[0047] The improved article support vessel that incorporates andimproved support surface pattern does not need a coating and is readilycleaned after use (e.g., baking), more readily it is believed thanvessels with conventional surfaces. The patterned surface of the vesselcushions the food product by providing for a flow or circulation of airbetween a food product and the patterned surface in such a manner thatthe improved support surface acts like a non-stick surface.

[0048] The improved article support vessel is constructed from amaterial, for example aluminum, that is durable and resists rust. Thisis accomplished in a preferred embodiment due to the approximately 1⅓pounds of solid aluminum used in creating the vessel, a material that iscompletely immersible, will not rust and requires no special utensilssince there is no surface coating applied to a preferred embodiment ofthe invention.

[0049] While specific embodiments have been shown and described, manyvariations are possible. The particular shape of the vessel includingweight and dimensions may be changed as desired to suit the equipmentwith which it is used of the application for which it is used.

[0050] It will be understood that the use of the term pocket is notintended to be limited to a completely sealed volume between the foodproduct and the surface of the vessel. The term pocket generally refersto an open volume or void created in the patterned surface of the vesselby the combination of the raised and low portions of the patternedsurface.

[0051] The terms trapped or sealed as used herein is not intended to belimited to an airtight relationship between the food product and thesupporting surface of the vessel and the air pocket. Rather. these termsrefer to the generally abutting relationship that results when the foodproduct is placed upon the patterned surface of the support surface ofthe vessel.

[0052] A patterned surface is within the scope of the present inventionso long as the food product is supported in some fashion and completesurface to surface support is not required by the present invention. Inother words, contact exists between the patterned surface and the foodproduct supported thereon, and how much contact may vary from pattern topattern or from one portion of a patterned surface to another portion ofthe same patterned surface.

[0053] The air pockets are defined as generally formed from acombination of a raised portion of the patterned surface and a lowportion of the patterned surface. It should be understood that the useof the terms raised and low is relative.

[0054] As mentioned, a preferred embodiment of the present invention isformed from a sheet of metal with a “pebble-grain pattern” as used inthe rolled metal industry. The invention, however, is not limited to theuse of only sheet of metal with the pebble pattern surface since a newpattern could be devised that would meet the performance requirements ofthe invention as discussed herein.

[0055] Rather, the present invention includes a vessel with an articlesupporting surface patterned to provide the air pockets illustrated,described and claimed herein. The invention is not limited to anyspecific pattern so long as the surface pattern creates the air pocketsdisclosed and described and does not require a particular pattern orspecific relationship between the raised portion of the patternedsurface and the low portion of the patterned surface.

[0056] Having described the invention in detail, those skilled in theart will appreciate that modifications may be made of the inventionwithout departing from its spirit. Therefore it is not intended that thescope of the invention be limited to the specific embodimentsillustrated and described, rather, it is intended that the scope of thisinvention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A surface for use during supporting andprocessing an article supported by the surface, comprising: means forsupporting an article to be processed, the means for supporting thearticle to be processed having means for receiving the article to beprocessed; and means for providing an air pocket between the article andthe means for supporting the article, whereby air circulation occursbetween the article and the means for supporting the article.
 2. Animproved food processing surface as set forth in claim 1 wherein themeans for supporting the article is a vessel having an upper patternedsurface supporting the article.
 3. An improved food processing surfaceas set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for providing an air pocketbetween the article and the means for supporting the article is apattern of raised portions and low portions.
 4. An improved foodprocessing surface as set forth in claim 3 wherein the pattern of raisedportions and low portions is embossed.
 5. An improved food processingsurface as set forth in claim 4 wherein the pattern is embossed in afood equipment grade aluminum alloy.
 6. An improved food processingsurface as set forth in claim 3 wherein the pattern of raised portionsand low portions is a pebble-grain pattern.
 7. An improved foodprocessing surface as set forth in claim 3 wherein the raised portionshave a generally flat upper surface that lies in substantially the sameplane.
 8. An improved food processing surface as set forth in claim 3wherein the ratio of the raised portions and the low portions isapproximately 2:1.
 9. A vessel for use during processing food productsat a temperature other than ambient temperature, the vessel including asurface for supporting the food products, the vessel and the supportingsurface comprising: a vessel for supporting a food product duringprocessing of the food product at a temperature, wherein the temperatureis not ambient temperature; a surface of the vessel, the surfacesupporting the food product during processing; and a pattern located onthe surface of the vessel, the pattern providing an air pocket betweenthe vessel and the food product when the surface supports the foodproduct, whereby heat transfer between the food product and the vesselis enhanced during food processing.
 10. A vessel as set forth in claim 9wherein the vessel includes a sheet portion of the surface having thepattern located on the surface.
 11. A vessel as set forth in claim 9wherein the vessel includes a generally circular portion of the surfacehaving the pattern located on the surface.
 12. A vessel as set forth inclaim 9 wherein the vessel includes a generally rectangular portion ofthe surface having the pattern located on the surface.
 13. A vessel asset forth in claim 12 wherein the vessel includes a generally squareportion of the surface having the pattern located on the surface.
 14. Avessel as set forth in claim 9 wherein the air pockets are defined by acombination of a raised portion of the patterned surface and a lowportion of the patterned surface.
 15. A vessel as set forth in claim 14wherein the ratio of the raised portion and the low portion isapproximately 2:1.
 16. A vessel as set forth in claim 14 wherein theraised portion has a generally flat upper surface that lies insubstantially a single same plane.
 17. A vessel as set forth in claim 14including a plurality of raised portions and low portions.
 18. A vesselas set forth in claim 16 wherein the ratio of the raised portions andthe low portions is approximately 2:1.
 19. A vessel as set forth inclaim 9 wherein the vessel is formed from a sheet of aluminum having apebble-grain pattern.
 20. A vessel for processing food products at atemperature other than ambient temperature, the vessel including asurface for supporting the food products, the vessel and the supportingsurface comprising: a vessel for supporting a food product duringprocessing of the food product at a temperature, wherein the temperatureis not ambient temperature; a surface of the vessel, the surfacesupporting the food product during processing; and the surface of thevessel having a pattern, the pattern providing an air pocket between thevessel and the food product when the surface supports the food product,whereby heat transfer between the food product and the vessel isenhanced during food processing.
 21. A vessel as set forth in claim 20wherein the air pocket is defined by a combination of a raised portionof the patterned surface and a low portion of the patterned surface. 22.A vessel as set forth in claim 21 wherein the ratio of the raisedportion and the low portion is approximately 2:1.
 23. A vessel as setforth in claim 21 wherein the raised portion has a generally fiat uppersurface that lies in substantially a single same plane.
 24. A vessel asset forth in claim 21 including a plurality of raised portions and lowportions.
 25. A vessel as set forth in claim 24 wherein the ratio of theraised portions and the low portions is approximately 2:1.
 26. A vesselas set forth in claim 20 wherein the vessel is formed from a sheet ofaluminum having a pebble-grain pattern.
 27. A vessel having a surface asset forth in claim 20 wherein the vessel is a baking pan.
 28. A vesselhaving a surface as set forth in claim 27 wherein the vessel is asubstantially round baking pan.
 29. A vessel having a surface as setforth in claim 27 wherein the vessel is a substantially rectangularbaking pan.
 30. A vessel having a surface as set forth in claim 27wherein the vessel is a substantially square baking pan.
 31. A vesselhaving a surface as set forth in claim 20 wherein the vessel is acooling vessel.
 32. A vessel having a surface as set forth in claim 31wherein the vessel is a substantially round cooling vessel.
 33. A vesselhaving a surface as set forth in claim 31 wherein the vessel is asubstantially rectangular cooling vessel.
 34. A vessel having a surfaceas set forth in claim 31 wherein the vessel is a substantially squarecooling vessel.
 35. A vessel having a surface as set forth in claim 20wherein the vessel is a freezing vessel.
 36. A vessel having a surfaceas set forth in claim 35 wherein the vessel is a substantially roundfreezing vessel.
 37. A vessel having a surface as set forth in claim 35wherein the vessel is a substantially rectangular freezing vessel.
 38. Avessel having a surface as set forth in claim 35 wherein the vessel is asubstantially square freezing vessel.
 39. A vessel having a surface asset forth in claim 35 wherein the vessel is a thawing vessel.
 40. Avessel having a surface as set forth in claim 20 wherein the vessel is asubstantially round thawing vessel.
 41. A vessel having a surface as setforth in claim 20 wherein the vessel is a substantially rectangularthawing vessel.
 42. A vessel having a surface as set forth in claim 20wherein the vessel is a substantially square thawing vessel.